Promise
by ThornQueen
Summary: Five years past since the day Sasuke left the Hidden Village of Konoha.Naruto is already Hokage and Sakura is an ANBU. Sakura still brokenhearted attempts to bring Sasuke back in one last and desperate mission.


Uchiha Sasuke was training, as usual. It was a bright, peaceful afternoon in the Hidden Village of Konoha. The sky was blue like the forget-me-nots, the sun was partially hidden by some white puffy clouds slowly turning red and it wasn't very hot. It was a nice day. But of course Sasuke did not have time to see all that. He had a goal, an ambition, an inescapable destiny. There was a day in his past, soaked in so much blood he could never forget. From that day on he had always been living in darkness. He isolated himself from the outside world, from his teachers and classmates at the Academy. He neglected he's own feelings. All he did was train and train, and then think about his revenge, again and again.

However, even he felt it. In the past few months many things slowly changed. Most of the time, he didn't notice, he was always too tired and worn out from their missions that he did not even have time to think about it. But sometimes, he would wonder what was so different. Well, it wasn't that hard. He had tea mates now. He was not alone anymore, even though he was pretending as if he did not like that at all. He had precious people he cared for, even though he did not want to admit it. There was Naruto, there was Sakura and Karachi-sensei. Sasuke's breath grew short while he kept punching an innocent tree trunk, but a tiny smile appeared on his face.

"Sasuke-kun?" the raven-haired boy heard someone calling him.

He knew that voice, soft and caring like the lullabies his mother used to sing to him when he was still little. This voice always brought sad memories to him. It was tempting and painful at the same time. Sasuke turned around and saw a young Konoha kunoichi, as he had expected, standing beside a tree, behind him. Her hair color reminded him of the cherry blossoms, blooming at the sakura season. Her eyes had a very beautiful shade of green, sparkling like jade. She was wearing a Chinese style kimono in a red color that matched her hair. She was now watching him with a worried expression on her face.

"Oh! Sasuke-kun, you're bleeding! Why do you always have to be like that?" she sounded as if she wanted to cry.

She ran to him while Sasuke did not reply. Sakura was carrying some bandages with her and a box with his bento, that she had made for him.

"Please come here, Sasuke-kun. I'll treat you and then you can go back to train once your hands are healed, OK?" she said while sitting on grass. And then she smiled. Her smile made Sasuke's mind go crazy. And then numb. And then crazy again. It was a bit scary, though he had to admit that he kinda liked that kind of sensation. More than that she was so beautiful, that he couldn't help but obey.

So he sat there, beside her, while Sakura gently took his hand and started wrapping it with the white bandages. All Sasuke could do was to try and keep his face emotionless. Gradually he started noticing her soft breath on his neck, the pink colored strands of her hair moving as she worked. He could almost feel her heart beating. However, he also noticed something more than that. Her red kimono was torn in some places and had grass stains all over. She also had many bruises and scratches on her arms and legs.

Was she training? Why is she like this? Sasuke asked himself.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun you must be really hungry after all that training, right?" said Sakura in a cheerful voice" I made you some bento!" and she presented him the bento box.

"Hn." was all Sasuke allowed himself to answer, as he reached for the small black box.

Sakura looked at him, and couldn't help but smile happily. Sasuke noticed it and he blushed instantly.

"Hm. What is it? Should I eat or not?" he said in a deceptively angry tone, glaring at her. Sakura's smile disappeared and she looked embarrassed.

"Y- yes. I'm sorry."

*********************************************************

Sasuke was full and it was already midday. Apparently, the lunch was delicious but Uchiha Sasuke would never admit it, so he just sat there, resting his back against the tree. Sakura was sitting beside him quietly, something really usual for her. Sasuke looked at her, carefully hiding his curiosity.

But he didn't say a word. And neither did she. She looked lost in her own thoughts. So the just sat together, watching the clouds chasing each other and the sky changing from blue to orange. Sasuke also had a lot of things to think about. A mental image of Orochimaru popped in his mind.

Sasuke shivered. He suddenly felt something on his shoulder. He slowly turned his head, startled. It was actually Sakura, resting her head on his navy blue T-shirt.

Sasuke was left agape. The normal Sakura would never do something like that. The normal Sakura would just keep talking non-stop, thus keep annoying him. But, even Sasuke felt that something was different. He looked at Sakura's short hair, remembering how she used to wear it long. It didn't change the fact that she was as beautiful as ever, but after those Chuunin Exams she had become much more thoughtful, she didn't talk that much anymore, though she never stopped being nice to him, and started showing more concern for Naruto, as her comrade and friend after he saved her from that Gaara guy.

He wasn't able to protect her. Naruto did all the work, in that splendid battle. He did not protect her, even though she cut her hair and got beaten up by those Sound bastards, even though she bravely jumped in front of that Gaara, shielding him.

He felt guilty.

He turned to the pink haired girl laying on his left shoulder, wondering why the hell he didn't push her away. She looked even more exhausted like that. Her stunning emerald eyes were half closed; her ivory skin looked like porcelain under the multicolored sunbeam, he cherry blossom hair spread all over his blue shirt. She looked tired and half asleep. Sasuke hold his breath as his attention was caught by her lips glowing like pink little pearls. Sasuke unconsciously raised his hand to touch them. He felt as if he couldn't control himself.

However, before he could give in to that temptation, the half asleep Sakura muttered something and slowly tugged his sleeve.

Sasuke stunned, did his best to hide what he was about to do. And looked away, fighting a blush.

_Darn, why the hell am I blushing?_

"Ne, Sasuke-kun…..." said Sakura in a very very quiet voice. Her jade orbs were glowing, capturing the sunlight.

"Yeah?"

"I wish I could stay like this forever. The sky…… I love watching it with you." Her voice dreamy. Sasuke glanced at her, speechless.

"But the only things I can do for you and for Naruto are minor and insignificant." While saying this, her lower lip started trembling.

"If only I had trained more and spent less time on my looks, I would be able to at least fight that Orochimaru, but in the end all I could was watch as my comrades were doing their best to fight and getting hurt while protecting a useless girl like me." She now was at the verge of crying.

_What __the hell is she talking about? Even I and Naruto were no match for that Snake-bastard. If she tried to fight, Orochimaru would have killed her without hesitation! _

Sasuke wanted to say something to make her feel better, but he never was good with stuff like this. Tears, like shinning little diamonds started flowing from her eyes.

Sasuke wanted to comfort her so badly, but just couldn't find the right words, so he just stretched his hand and hugged her.

Very tightly, like he never wanted to let go.

Fortunately, Sakura was still half dreaming so that she didn't quite understand what was going on, so she just watched the sky sink beneath the horizon, wrapped in Sasuke's arms, the way she had always wanted.

On the other hand, Sasuke as fully aware of the fact that he had a girl in his arms for the first time in his life and his face had the color of a ripe tomato. But, the most important was that after a very long time, he again experienced the sensation of being close to someone, of having a bond with another human. The warm feeling of someone else breathing so close to him.

He felt as if he had just drunk ten bottles of sake.

So the two of them simply sat there looking at the sun dyeing the sky in red. And neither of them said a single word for a very long time.

"Hey......Sakura..." said Sasuke in a voice quiet enough to be a whisper.

"......"

"You know, whatever happens I will protect you."

He didn't blush. He didn't get annoyed to himself, nor did he wish he could take his words back. It was what he wanted to say.

He bent his head a little only to find that Sakura had already fallen asleep.

Sasuke almost started laughing. But he was still Uchiha Sasuke so he just sent a really wide smile to the sun.

_Three months later_

"Why?"

A tear trickled down her cheek.

"Why is it always silence with you? Why won't you ever tell me anything?"

She felt her heart falling apart.

_H__e's leaving and I'm going to lose him._

"It's none of your business."

He had always told her to stay away. He did that with everyone. Naruto, Kakashi, herself.

But they were a team, right? And he knew that, too. He had fun, too. She wanted to believe that there were times that he also felt happiness. She wanted to give it to him.

Happiness, that is.

_Stay out of it._

Yes, that's what he always said. That's what he decided on to. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.

She was sick of it.

She was desperate. If he left she would die.

"_I love__ you so much that I can't even stand it!" _she cried out loud.

"You are annoying." Was all he said before he started walking away once again. Always, always walking away.

"_Ikanai de!"_

"If you leave I'll scream and-" she stopped talking suddenly as he disappeared and appeared behind her.

Everything was so quiet in the stillness of the night. He could even hear her heart beating. So fast.

His own heart hurt like hell but he didn't know why.

"Sakura, thank you."

A knock at the back of her head knocked her out. His name a dying whisper in her lips.

"_Go away."_

"_What do you want?"_

"_Stay silent about this, or I'll never forgive you."_

"_Go away." _

"_Leave me alone._

"_You are annoying."_

"_That solitude, you can't even compare it to...."_

"_You are annoying"_

"_Stay out of it__."_

"_Tell me who did this to you!!"_

"_It's none of your business."_

"_Sakura, thank you." _

"_Hey....I'll protect you."_

_5 years later _

He left but she didn't die, even though her heart was broken.

Haruno Sakura found the courage to live on. It was mainly because of Naruto. When she saw him, she felt so guilty.

_Gee__z__, that Naruto. Always making me want to work hard. _

But more than that she figured she did not want to give up. She realized that there was still hope.

_I won't get in the way next time, I promise._

She wanted to keep her promise. At least for once. She needed to, so that whatever she did from that day on would take a meaning.

_The only things I can do for you and Naruto are minor and insignificant._

She had to end that. She wanted to prove herself. This way, slowly, and almost painfully, five more years passed from the night he left. She never stopped trying, working, studying, training.

She went on missions with Naruto and Kakashi, to go search for him but they were never able to reach him.

Looking out of the window she would still see the same old pictures. The multicolored houses and shops with the pipes and staircases sticking out.


End file.
